Mobile washing machine

ABSTRACT

A large outer tub carried on a house trailer, camper or boat contains a smaller mesh basket having a buoyant collar adjacent the upper end to float the basket when the tub is filled nearly to the top with water. Soiled laundry is placed in the basket and after adding to the water a suitable quantity of soap, or the like, the tub lid is tightly closed. As the motor vehicle or boat proceeds on is way, the motion causes the wash water to slosh vigorously. The attendant agitation of the basket relative to the tub and the water which sluices in, through, around and out of the basket effectively dislodges dirt and grime in the laundry. After a few miles, or at its destination, the vehicle or boat can be stopped, the wash water emptied from the tub and the clean contents of the basket removed for drying.

United States Patent Gendron [45'] Dec. 19, 1972 [54] MOBILE WASHING MACHINE [22] Filed: Sept. 9, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 161,803

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,002,870 9/1965 Great Britain .......68/232 Primary Examiner-William 1. Price Attorney-Robert G. West et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A large outer tub carried on a house trailer, camper or boat contains a smaller mesh basket having a buoyant collar adjacent the upper end to float the basket when the tub is filled nearly to the top with water. Soiled laundry is placed in the basket and after adding to the water a suitable quantity of soap, or the like, the tub lid is tightly closed. As the motor vehicle or boat proceeds on is way, the motion causes the wash water to slosh vigorously. The attendant agitation of the basket relative to the tub and the water which sluices in, through, around and out of the basket effectively dislodges dirt and grime in the laundry. After a few miles, or at its destination, the vehicle or boat can be stopped, the wash water emptied from the tub and the clean contents of the basketremoved for drying.

6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures minimum 1'9 .912

INVENTOR. 55751? d. GEA/DPOA/ 0% o zZ/J ATTORNE Y8 MOBILE WASHING MACHINE The invention relates to improvements in apparatus for washing laundry.

Accompanying the widespread and growing use of boats, campers and trailers is a need for facilities for washing the clothes, bedding, linen and other similar items used by the occupants and travelers in these transport vehicles. Some marinas, campgrounds and parks afford washing machines, but not invariably so. Furthermore, the facilities that are provided, either in marinas, parks and campgrounds, or of the customary self-help laundry type found in most areas, require a waiting period, both for the machine to become available and for the machine to complete its cycle'after it has been started.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a mobile washing machine which is carried by the users transport vehicle and is operated while the vehicle is being driven, thereby obviating any need to wait in line or for the machine to run its cycle.

It is another object of the invention to provide a'mobile washing machine which is relatively inexpensive and compact in size, yet is effective in operation and does not require the insertion of a coin each time the washer is used.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a mobile washing machine which does not rely upon a source of electricity for its operation and which is reliable, rugged and long-lived and has a minimum of parts to get out of order.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a mobile washing machine which can be safely and easily operated by anyone, including children.

It is another object of the invention to provide a generally improved mobile washing machine.

Other objects, together with the foregoing, are attained in the embodiment described in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, with a major portion broken away to reveal interior details, showing the tub filled to a correct height with wash water, and with the mesh basket containing the clothes in a position of normal vertical agitation; and,

FIG. 2 is a view comparable to FIG. 1, but illustrating in a stylized manner the relative motion between the tub, the flotation collar-supported basket and the water when the transport vehicle is stopping, starting, turning, accelerating, decelerating, yawing or rocking.

While the mobile washing machine of the invention is susceptible of numerous physical embodiments, depending upon the environment and requirements of use, substantial numbers of the herein shown and described embodiment have been made, tested and used, and all have performed in an eminently satisfactory manner.

The washing machine of the invention, generally designated by the reference numeral 10, is of a size and shape suitable for being carried as a permanent piece of equipment in a trailer, camper, boat, self-propelled recreation vehicle, or the like.

A drum 1!, or tub, is preferably of hollow, right circular cylindrical configuration and is fabricated of high impact plastic material, capable of withstanding considerable buffeting and wear and tear.

The upper end of the tub is open and around the margin of the opening there is provided an annular flange l2 capable of forming a water-tight engagement with a registering flange 13 around the periphery of a closure member 14 having a handle 16.

Tight engagement between the two face to face flanges l2 and 13 is assured by a pair of oppositely located clamping members 17 bearing down on the lid flange 13 and urging it downwardly against the subjacent tub flange 12.

The clamping members 17 each include an inverted, L-shaped bar 21 hinged at its lower end 22 to an operating lever 23 pivoted at 24 on a bracket 26 secured to the outside of the tub. In short, the clamping structure is of the overcenter, suitcase latch type. If necessary, more than two such clamping members 17 and attendant actuating structure can be used. In the usual case, however, an opposed pair is adequate, particularly where the engaging interfaces of the two flanges 12 and 13 are of a somewhat resilient nature so as to provide an effective seal.

Inside the tub is a foraminous container 31, or basket, conveniently of hollow, right circular cylindrical configuration and fabricated of rustless material, such as 40 to 60 mesh wire of brass, bronze of stainless steel, or of high impact plastic capable of withstanding buffeting.

The upper end of the basket 31 is open to receive and allow withdrawal of a load of laundry 33, such as clothing, bedding, linen, towels and the like. A reinforcing band 34 strengthens the margin of the basket opening. Although it is not shown, since it usually is unnecessary to the effective operation of the device, a wire mesh cover of rustless material could be installed on the top of the basket prior to commencing washing. The cover, if used, would be supported by the band 34 and held in position by any suitable latch means.

Encircling the upper portion of the basket 31 is a toroidal flotation collar 36 preferably made of an expanded plastic material, such as polystyrene. The collar can, for example, be 12 inches in inside diameter, in order snugly to encompass the basket 31. The

basket 31 can conveniently be approximately 12 inches in outside diameter, with a vertical length of about fifteen inches. The toroid diameter is selected to afford the necessary buoyancy for the basket so that when the wash water 41 is placed in the tub 11, the basket 31 will float at about the level indicated most clearly in FIG. 1. A toroid cross-sectional diameter of 2% inches has been found to be suitable to afford the desired flotation, using polyethylene material, for a basket having the dimensions recited above.

The operation of the machine is as follows. With the tub empty, the basket 31 rests on the bottom 43 of the tub. The laundry load 33 is then ordinarily placed in the basket, making sure that the load is not excessive.

Preferably, the top of the pile 33 of clothes should not be above the top of the flotation collar 36. Water is then introduced, accompanied by the appropriate charge of soap, or the like, until the body 41 of water is approximately as shown in FIG. 1. An indicia can be marked on the inside wall 44 of the tub, if desired, to

mark the proper water level for the average load of laundry. The top closure member 14 is thereupon installed in place and tightly clamped shut by the clamping members 17.

At this juncture, the boat or other transport vehicle can be started and proceed along its course in the usual way.

The customary vertical up and down motion of a boat or vehicle as it travels along even a fairly smooth stretch of water or highway is sufficient to impose a significant relative vertical, plunger-like motion between the outside tub and the inside basket, the effect being to cause water to swish in and out of the basket in approximately the manner indicated by the arrows in FIG. 1. In other words, the rapid relative rise and fall of the basket creates a churning effect which is effective to dislodge dirt and grim, with the heavier particles tending to emerge from the pile of clothes and fall through the screen mesh to the bottom of the tub.

In addition to the vertical pumping action just described, even more complicated gyrations occur as a consequence of the average boat or vehicles motion. Thus, wave motion, changing course or changing lanes, veering around, an overtaken vehicle and turning a corner all provide a yawing type of relative motion wherein oscillation occurs, ideally speaking, about a vertical axis substantially coincident with the vertical axis of the cylindrical tub. Pitching of the boat or alternate nosing up and down of the vehicle effects a motion about a transverse horizontal axis; and a side to side, or rolling, movement of the boat or highway vehicle (although not ordinarily significant in the case of a trailer or camper except when traveling on a road having a high crown) causes oscillation about a horizontal, fore and aft axis.

As will be apparent, acceleration and deceleration, as well as stops and starts lend a very considerable further influence to the overallmotion pattern.

As appears most clearly in FIG. 2, inclination of the tub 11 resulting from any of the foregoing causes results in relative motion between the tub and the confined floating basket tending to maintain its vertical attitude. The resultant effect is that the wash water 41 is displaced and flows into the basket on the left hand side and out of the basket on the right hand side.

The motion pattern which actually occurs is much more complex than that illustrated in the stylized FIG. 1 and 2 presentations. It will also be recognized that rapid reversals of movement will frequently occur and that the magnitude of the external forces will often be very substantial.

As a consequence, the random and often violent,

agitation, sloshing and buffeting, as indicated in stylized manner by the arrows in FIGS. 1 and 2, is very effective as a laundering operation. Thus upon arriving at the destination, the tub lid and the basket can be removed and the wash water emptied. The clothes can thereupon be rinsed and hung for drip drying or wrung for line or machine drying. After rinsing out the tub and the basket, the basket can be returned to the clean tub for subsequent use.

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile washing machine agitated by movement of a transport vehicle, said washing machine comprisa. a drum having an access opening;

b. a closure member for selectively covering said opening;

c. a foraminous container within said drum capable of passingwash water in said drum throulhthe wa s of said container and into contact W1 articles placed within said container and from the interior of said container outwardly into said drum; and,

. a flotation member on said container for maintaining said container at a predetermined condition of buoyancy when sufficient wash water has been introduced in said drum to lift said flotation member.

2. A mobile washing machine as in claim 1 wherein said flotation member is a buoyant collar encompassing the upper end of said container, and said container is sufficiently smaller in size than said drum to permit relative movement therebetween in all directions of movement.

3. A mobile washing machine as in claim 2 wherein said drum and said container are of hollow, right circular cylindrical shape, and said buoyant collar is toroidal in configuration.

4. A mobile washing machine as in claim 3 wherein said drum and said container are of plastic material.

5. A mobile washing machine as in claim 4 wherein said drum and said closure member are of high impact plastic material, said container is of non-rusting wire mesh, and said buoyant collar is of foamed plastic material.

6. A mobile washing machine as in claim 2 wherein said closure member comprises a lid and a pair of suitcase type latches for removably clamping said lid over said access opening. 

1. A mobile washing machine agitated by movement of a transport vehicle, said washing machine comprising: a. a drum having an access opening; b. a closure member for selectively covering said opening; c. a foraminous container within said drum capable of passing wash water in said drum through the walls of said container and into contact with articles placed within said container and from the interior of said container outwardly into said drum; and, d. a flotation member on said container for maintaining said container at a predetermined condition of buoyancy when sufficient wash water has been introduced in said drum to lift said flotation member.
 2. A mobile washing machine as in claim 1 wherein said flotation member is a buoyant collar encompassing the upper end of said container, and said container is sufficiently smaller in size than said drum to permit relative movement therebetween in all directions of movement.
 3. A mobile washing machine as in claim 2 wherein said drum and said container are of hollow, right circular cylindrical shape, and said buoyant collar is toroidal in configuration.
 4. A mobile waShing machine as in claim 3 wherein said drum and said container are of ''''plastic'''' material.
 5. A mobile washing machine as in claim 4 wherein said drum and said closure member are of high impact ''''plastic'''' material, said container is of non-rusting wire mesh, and said buoyant collar is of foamed ''''plastic'''' material.
 6. A mobile washing machine as in claim 2 wherein said closure member comprises a lid and a pair of ''''suitcase type'''' latches for removably clamping said lid over said access opening. 